The present invention relates generally to the field of medical diagnostic and imaging systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a diagnostic system having a user interface which facilitates maintenance, repair and upgrading of the diagnostic system by a service provider.
Medical diagnostic and imaging systems are ubiquitous in modern health care facilities. Such systems provide invaluable tools for identifying, diagnosing and treating physical conditions and greatly reduce the need for surgical diagnostic intervention. In many instances, final diagnosis and treatment proceed only after an attending physician or radiologist has complemented conventional examinations with detailed images of relevant areas and tissues via one or more imaging modalities.
Currently, a number of modalities exist for medical diagnostic and imaging systems. These include computed tomography (CT) systems, x-ray systems (including both 2Q conventional and digital or digitized imaging systems), magnetic resonance (MR) systems, positron emission tomography (PET) systems, ultrasound systems, nuclear medicine systems, etc. In many instances, these modalities complement one another and offer the physician a range of techniques for imaging particular types of tissue, organs, physiological systems, etc. Health care institutions often arrange several such imaging systems at a single or multiple facilities, permitting its physicians to draw upon such resources as required by particular patient needs.
Modern medical diagnostic systems typically include circuitry for acquiring image data and for transforming the data into a useable form, which is then processed to create a reconstructed image of features of interest within the patient. The image data acquisition and processing circuitry is sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9cscannerxe2x80x9d if physical or electronic scanning occurs as part of the imaging process. The particular components of the system and related circuitry, of course, differ greatly between modalities due to their different physics and data processing requirements.
Medical diagnostic systems of the type described above are often called upon to produce reliable and understandable images within demanding schedules and over a considerable useful life. To ensure proper operation, the systems are serviced regularly by highly trained personnel who address imaging problems, configure and calibrate the systems, and perform periodic system checks and software updates. Moreover, service offerings have been supplemented in recent years by service centers capable of contacting scanners at subscribing institutions directly without the need for intervention on the part of the institution personnel. Such centralized servicing is intended to maintain the diagnostic systems in good operational order without necessitating the attention of physicians or radiologists, and is often quite transparent to the institution.
In certain centralized servicing systems, a computerized service center may contact a scanner via a network to check system configurations and operational states, to collect data for report generation, and to perform other useful service functions. Such contacts can be made periodically, such as during system xe2x80x9csweepsxe2x80x9d, in which a variety of system performance data is collected and stored with historical data for the particular scanner. The data can then be used to evaluate system performance, propose or schedule visits by service personnel, and the like.
While such service techniques have proven extremely valuable in maintaining diagnostic systems, further improvements are still needed. For example, in conventional service systems, contact between the scanners and a centralized service center most often originates with the service center. The scanners are provided with only limited functionality in the ability to identify and define service needs. Even where the scanners have permitted some limited ability to contact networked service providers, intermittent conditions indicative of a potentially serviceable problem may cease by the time the service provider is contacted or recontacts the scanner after a service call. Moreover, although the transparency of interactions between scanners and service centers avoids distracting medical personnel with service updates unnecessarily, some degree of interaction between service centers and institutions is highly desirable. In particular, an interactive service system facilitates valuable exchanges of information, including reports of system performance, feedback on particular incidents requiring attention, updates of system licenses, software, imaging protocols, etc. Currently available service systems permit such interactive exchanges. In particular, a platform has been developed that serves as a base for the interactive servicing needs of different modalities. This platform allows a central service center to exchange information on possible service problems with remotely located scanners, and to retrieve information or data log files from scanners for the purpose of servicing those scanners. One known platform provides a uniform interface permitting clinicians and radiologists to operate a variety of scanners in different modalities, and to report service issues for the scanners, via a uniform, intuitive format.
The known integrated user-interactive platform for servicing diagnostic equipment at remote locations may be configured in software, hardware, or firmware at the scanner or may be installed in a central operator""s station linking several scanners in a medical facility. The user interface permits service requests to be generated prior to, during or subsequent to examinations executed on the diagnostic equipment. The user interface also permits service messaging, report generation and retrieval, etc. The user interface is preferably configured as a network browser, which also facilitates linking the scanner or the central facility control station to a network such as an intranet or internet. The same user interface may be integrated into scanners of different modalities, thereby further facilitating service requests and the like by operations personnel, without requiring the personnel to become reacquainted with diverse interfaces in a facility.
While the existing user-interactive platform provides the system user with the capability to send a service request to a service center for immediate assistance, the existing platform does not provide the ability for the end-user of diagnostic equipment to create an electronic worklist of non-emergency items the end-user would like a field engineer to address during the next scheduled on-site visit.
The present invention relates to medical diagnostic equipment which provides the equipment user with a facility for creating an electronic list of tasks (hereinafter xe2x80x9ctask listxe2x80x9d) to be performed by a field engineer which do not require an emergency service call. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, this electronic task list resides in the medical diagnostic equipment (e.g., a scanner) and is created by the end-user interacting with a graphical user interface. In particular, the task list is created by the user interacting with a so-called xe2x80x9cTask Listxe2x80x9d web page. At a minimum, the task list web page comprises fields for entry of task items. Preferably, the web page also has means for saving or deleting task items listed on the web page.
In accordance with the preferred embodiments of the invention, the task list is transmitted from the diagnostic system to a service center via a network. In accordance with one preferred embodiment, the task list is transmitted concurrently to the assigned field service engineer. In accordance with another preferred embodiment, the service center receives the task list and later transmits it to the assigned field service engineer, via the same network or via any other available communications channel, e.g., a facsimile or wireless communication. The transmission of the electronic task list from the remotely located diagnostic system to the service center may be actuated by either the end-user or the scanner may be programmed to automatically send the task list to the service center in accordance with a schedule. Alternatively, the scanner may be programmed to automatically send the task list in response to a request from the service center. Such requests may be issued to all remote systems by the service center in accordance with a regular schedule or in dependence on when the next service call is scheduled. Optionally, the service center may send a request for transmission of the task list in response to a request from a remotely located field service engineer or prior to a systemically scheduled (such as preventive maintenance) field engineer visit to the remote site. Upon receipt, the task list would be relayed to the field engineer.
Preferably, the task list is automatically xe2x80x9cpushedxe2x80x9d to the service center by the scanner without the need for system user intervention. Alternatively, the end-user can actuate transmission of the task list to the service center. To facilitate downloading of the task list by the end-user at the scanner, the graphical user interface of the diagnostic system may comprise a virtual xe2x80x9cSendxe2x80x9d button which is displayed on a task list web page. In response to the end-user clicking on the virtual xe2x80x9cSendxe2x80x9d button, the scanner would transmit the current task list to the service center via the network. If the network address of the assigned field service engineer is known to the remote system user or is pre-stored in the remote system, then the assigned field service engineer can be copied on any task list transmission to the service center.
Upon receipt of the task list, the service center stores the task list in memory in association with a code identifying the diagnostic system which was the source of the task list. In cases where concurrent transmission to the field service engineer does not occur, the service center automatically relays the task list and the identity of its source system to the assigned field engineer at a remote location via the network (or some other communications channel). In response to transmission of the task list to the field engineer, the service center also transmits a message to the source diagnostic system acknowledging that the task list was sent to the field engineer.
Preferably, the field engineer has a laptop computer with e-mail capability, which can be connected to the network for communicating with the service center. In response to receipt of the task list and source identity from the service center, a pop-up message window notifying the field engineer that a new task list has been received would appear on the laptop display monitor. In response to this message, the field engineer opens up his e-mail to reveal the task list and associated source identifier received from the service center.
In accordance with an alternative preferred embodiment, the service center periodically interrogates the remotely located diagnostic system via the network in accordance with a call schedule. In response to interrogation from the service center, the diagnostic system automatically transmits the service task list to the service center via the network. This procedure is preferably transparent to the end-user, i.e., the web server at the diagnostic system responds to the interrogation without any notice being taken by the end-user. Alternatively, in response to the interrogation from the service center, the web server may produce a pop-up message window on the display monitor of the diagnostic system, which window requests the end-user to transmit the task list to the service center. In response to this message, the user opens up the task list web page and actuates transmission of the task list to the service center, e.g., via the aforementioned virtual xe2x80x9cSendxe2x80x9d button on the display screen. Again the service center stores the task list in memory in association with a code identifying the diagnostic system which was the source of the task list. The service center then relays the task list and the identity of the source of the task list to the assigned field engineer at the appropriate time, e.g., in accordance with a schedule or in response to log-in of the assigned field engineer.
Preferably, the task list is provided to the field engineer prior to an on-site visit based upon a call schedule. By reviewing the task list prior to the on-site visit, the field engineer can anticipate issues that will need to be resolved and make appropriate preparations for his visit, including packing supplies, replacement parts, equipment, tools or reference materials which may be needed. This system will improve call efficiency and reduce the need for repeat visits.